RIYADH: Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) has allocated seven Boeing 777-300 flights to transport Qatari pilgrims from Doha to King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah from Aug. 22 to 25.
The return flights will be on Sept. 5 at the end of the pilgrimage.
Earlier, the SPA reported that the king approved a plan to reopen the Salwa border crossing between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as the dispatch of a private aircraft from Saudia’s fleet to Doha to fly Qatari pilgrims to Jeddah.
Mohammed Al-Otaibi, director general of air transport at the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), said that Saudia is preparing to operate specified flights after applying for the necessary permits from the Qatari authorities, adding that permits have not yet been received.
Al-Otaibi added that Qatari pilgrims who wish to travel via Dammam or Al-Ahsa airports will be transferred to scheduled Saudia flights.
“If necessary, they will take special flights,” he said, adding that “all these flights are at the expense of King Salman.”
The GACA has directed all its airports to provide the necessary assistance to the pilgrims in implementation of the royal order and the allocation of time slots required by Saudia flights coming from Doha for the Hajj season.
200,000 lighting units to illuminate Makkah
skies during Hajj
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs has completed maintenance work through the city’s secretariat to illuminate Makkah skies during the Hajj season this year.
The ministry’s maintenance team has installed 200,000 lighting units in Makkah and the holy places and installed 950 electrical distribution panels with long ground cables.
The lighting maintenance in Makkah is supervised by a technical staff of engineers, supervisors and technicians, whose role is in the field of administration and follow-up on all aspects of the lighting network in the holy places.
The maintenance team inspects the lighting units and replaces damaged interior parts including lamps and wiring connecting the internal components. It also maintains electrical distribution boards, and constantly inspects panels to ensure that they continue working.
The team also makes field tours to check on these panels and repair sudden failures of panel components.
